


Condensation And Condescension

by SilverFliesInBlueSugar



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Gen, implied eating disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25962028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverFliesInBlueSugar/pseuds/SilverFliesInBlueSugar
Summary: It's raining outside, and it looks like it won't stop for a while.
Relationships: Alastor & Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor/Husk (Hazbin Hotel)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 124





	Condensation And Condescension

Edward 'Husker' Ivanov sighed as he finally stepped out of the rain, the glass door of the café swinging to a shut gently behind him. He was soaked from head to toe, hair sticking to his face in a gross manner until he ran his fingers through it, sighing as he leant back against the pane, slipping his heavy coat from his shoulders. His jeans had been whetted into several shades darker than normal, half tucked into his waterlogged shoes. His socks, once white, were now grey.

Scratching irritably at his stubble, he glanced warily about. He'd only rushed in to escape the sudden downpour, but now that he was here (and likely trapped here for a while - that rain was unlikely to let up any time soon) he may as well look about and perhaps even order something.

It was sparsely populated, mostly just a few sets of couples sat chatting quietly as they tittered at the rain battering against the glass walls. There were a few lone people too, but most looked unaproachable, lost in their own world with their headphones in as they scrolled through their phones, letting their food go cold in front of them.

Husk checked the time on his watch quickly. Huh, 7pm. Not that bad, he could stand to hang for a few hours.

Thankfully the ambient heat of the café was already heating him up a little, and whilst it made his already soaked self already more uncomfortable as the water grew _warm_ , it did also finally stop his shivering. Rubbing at his arms, he checked his wallet. Aha, change. He could get something.

Making his way idly up to the counter, his gaze was somehow caught on one of the lone wolves. It was a rather young man, with dark skin and even darker hair, seeming to sink into his clothes, which consisted of a red dress shirt beneath a black sweater. He was noticeably thin, perhaps concerningly so, but what really caught Husk's attention was his eyes. Though half lidded, their colour was unmistakable. 

They were a stark red.

A woman made a noise in the back of her throat, the sort you do when you want to draw someone's attention, and his gaze snapped to her. She looked thankfully patient, though also a little nervous at his idling, interlocking and then detaching her fingers continuously, worrying the skin of her lips. She was also quite young, but unlike the man who had caught his attention, she was considerably unremarkable.

Anyway, time to stop sizing up strangers and just order himself what he damn wanted.

His eyes raked over the menu overhead, trailing over the chalk letters. A blackboard, charming. Genuinely charming. Looks like they didn't have any alcohol besides the small cans in the refrigerator behind her, so there was no point wasting his money trying to get... Well, _wasted_. A nice black coffee would probably do him some good - could keep him fully awake long enough to trudge home to his shithole apartment once the rain ended without just passing out from sheer exhaustion and waking up in the middle of a street. Which, mind you, _had_ happened 

He ordered, watching as she busied about with making it, and as he did so his eyes slipped back to the man. Said man took a sip of his cup - what was that, Matcha? - before his eyes flitted up to meet Husk's. They widened in slight interest, though made no move to dissuade his gaze, simply meeting it in a way almost challenge-like. The strange impromptu staring contest was once again cut off by his order's completion, and he slid over his money before picking up the mug.

Where to sit?

Without consciously thinking to, he found his feet at the man's table.

"Hey" he greeted, and the man smirked at him in a decidedly unfriendly way. What the fuck ever, he was inexplicably curious and wanted a seat. "Anyone sat here?"

Despite his seemingly simmering aggression, the man didn't shoo him away. In fact, he simply swept his arm in a gesture of open welcoming. Whelp, that was enough for him. Husk slipped into the seat opposite.

Up close, three things became apparent. One - either those were some powerful ass contacts or this guy was a demon. Two - holy shit he was emaciated. Was he ill? And three - he had to be younger than Husk had initially anticipated. From a distance, he'd assumed mid to late 20's. Up close, this guy looked 23 at best.

"So. I'm not exactly an eloquent guy, and i know you probably get this a lot" he started, watching as the man tilted his head in idle interest "But is your eye colour real? Like - actually real?"

The man laughed at that, a sort of giggly weird laugh that could aptly be summarised as a literal 'ha ha ha', strange eyes scrunching up as his cheeks grew taut with his smile. "You are correct, i do get that a lot! And yes, this is just how i was born, I'm afraid!"

"It doesn't look bad or anything" Husk shrugged, fingering the handle of his drink before lifting it to blow on it. "Just caught my attention; took me right the fuck off guard"

"And that's why you sat here" the man surmised. After sipping his drink, Husk nodded.

"Yep."

"Well, i suppose i can commend you for having the confidence to approach me and ask outright instead of sending me furtive looks, as do most" the man said with an air of dry amusement, swirling the liquid in his mug. That was definitely Matcha. Why? That shit tasted like grass, yuck. "I suppose i should introduce myself, as we have started a conversation. My name is Alastor. Alastor LeBlanc."

"Edward Ivanov, but my friends call me Husker. Don't ask." Husk shrugged off the weird look Alastor gave him before the brunette laughed slightly.

"Alright then, 'Husker.' And what brings you to this little café then?" he rested his head in a hand, twirling his spoon idly.

"The rain." Husk said seriously, point compounded by a convenient roar of thunder and a heavier downpour. "Waiting it out."

"You're out of luck, then!" Alastor laughed. "That storm is set to go until 11pm!"

"Oh, for FUCKS sake." Husk groaned, rolling his head back in defeat before throwing his arms up mock-dramatically, only half joking in his overblown anger. "I fucking hate storms. Fuck storms. Storms are shit."

"You swear plenty" Alastor observed, peering down at him. "Not much polite company"

"Eh? If the swearing gets to ya i can cut it out" Husk shrugged. Then his eyes drifted back to the drink in Alastor's hands. "Why the f- why a Matcha? Doesn't that taste like shit - it's not like this place is a tea shop"

"It tastes dreadful!" Alastor agreed heartily. "But it suppresses the appetite - thus it does it's job. I'm not a fan of the taste, but it's a means to an end. Tolerable."

Suppressing the appetite. Husk frowned at the other man, cheek bones sharp and wrists even sharper, complexion unnaturally wan. Ah.

"...Want some of this?" he offered, raising his black coffee up. Alastor leant over to smell before his face lit up in slight interest.

"Bitter?"

"Very."

"Then yes, i'd like a little bit. Thank you." Alastor smiled, but this one seemed a little more genuine than the others - less smarmy and cold. He took a sip, face easing in satisfaction at the taste. Those crimson eyes almost seemed to warm somehow, and with a startle Husk realized just how much he must have realllly hated that damn Matcha if just a sip of coffee he actually liked was showing this much of a difference in his countenance.

"Ahh, that was pleasant" Alastor handed the mug back to him, clearly in better spirits now. "I'm much a fan of bitter things - Meat, for example, less so anything on the sweeter side"

"So no milk and four sugars for you?" Husk guessed. When Alastor responded with a look of ardent disgust, he laughed. "Agreed. Flowery shit is disgusting, though I'm not _against_ sweetness as a concept. Just prefer darker shit. Dark chocolate is good."

Alastor nodded cheerily, returning to his Matcha. "Finally, a man with sense"

Husk blurted out into another surprised beat of laughter, grinning slightly, and watched as the other man seemed to brighten up along with him.

Maybe the rain hadn't been unlucky after all.


End file.
